‘‘The apostles thought it was all nonsense, and they would not believe. But Peter ran to the tomb. And when he stooped down and looked in, he saw only the burial clothes. The he returned, wondering what had happened.’’ Luke 24:11-12

Luke confirms Marks account that the women fled the empty tomb in fear. They said nothing about an angel - at least not at first. Who would believe them, anyway? Perhaps only after meeting Jesus were they emboldened to speak to the Eleven. Obviously, they should not have expected anyone to believe them. They were merely women and so did not count for much in First Century Palestine. When they did say speak, they weren’t even greeted by doubt. Their witness was brushed aside by all eleven apostles. After all, a self-respecting man would not give much credit to the drivel of a handful of hysterical females. They should have expected as much. They probably did.

‘‘Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, ‘Look what you’ve done! Now I’m in real trouble with the Canaanites and Perizzites who live around here. There aren’t many of us, and if they attack, they’ll kill everyone in my household.’ They answered, ‘Was it right to let our own sister be treated that way?’’’ Genesis 34:30-31

Jacob and Leah’s daughter, Dinah, had been raped by a man who then decided he wanted her for his wife. Dinah’s brothers, Simeon and Levi, were rightfully angry. They hatched a scheme to have all the men of the offending tribe circumcised in anticipation of the proposed wedding. Without their father’s knowledge, while all the men were sore and incapacitated, the two brothers sneaked into the village and slaughtered all the men. The other brothers carried off the tribe’s plunder, along with the herds of animals, the women, and the children. Eventually, word reached Jacob’s ears, and too late, he confronted them.

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